Like Father, Like Son
by Gucci-Envy
Summary: Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel: The Painted Veil. Walter survives the choloera epidemic and continues his life in China with his new family. But what happens when a friendly trip back home brings them face to face with the real father of Walter II?
1. Chapter 1

**Like Father, Like Son**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer: The story and characters belong to W. Somerset Maugham. I only write from where he left off, which I clearly noted in this chapter. Please, reviews and comments are what encourage me to continue writing. Thank you and enjoy the story!**

In times of war, togetherness can be obtained with patience, which is exactly what Mr and Mrs Walter Fane experienced before reaching the peak of their marriage and relationship. After a rough start, both fell hopelessly in love with one another for reasons no one else would ever understand. But that's what made them such a remarkable couple. Their relationship began on the wrong foot, but the event of their marriage was most likely the best thing that ever happened to them.

After tying the knot as quick as light, Kitty and Walter Fane made their way to Shanghai, China, the home of Walter's laboratory during the 1920s. Walter was a bacteriologist, while Kitty enjoyed parties, dancing and theatre. While in Shanghai, Kitty was quickly acquainted with a charming young fellow by the name of Charlie Townsend, who was married to Dorothy Townsend, one of Kitty's least favourite people. He was the vice-president post in China for Britain, or something of the sort. Not particularly interesting but Kitty found it quite. After spending one night at the Chinese opera together, they were committed to a relationship behind closed doors, which no one knew about.

One afternoon, while Kitty was 'sleeping' in her bedroom, Charlie privately made his way into her bedroom and they were reunited again in, yes, you guessed it, Kitty and Walter's bed. In their helpless love affair, a sound suddenly came from outside the bedroom door, which both Charlie and Kitty noticed. Just as someone was about to turned the knob open, the door remained shut and steps travelled off into the distance with the unknown character. They didn't speak the matter after that.

Both Kitty and Walter didn't notice it at the time, but Walter knew of the relationship after that afternoon. It was Walter who had come to the door that day and left after realising who was with Kitty at the time. While Walter was off in the city studying his microbes, Kitty remained at home so the two of them never spoke much, which was exactly why Kitty was so taken aback when Walter chose not to go into the country one day and instead chose to speak with Kitty privately. He confronted her with the problem of course and agreed to have her divorce him quietly if Charlie would agree to have Dorothy divorce him, and in conclusion, have Charlie and Kitty married in the ultimate end. In confusion, Kitty quickly took a carriage (which was pulled by slaves) into the city to tell Charlie of the matter. Charlie turned away from the helpless Kitty and she returned home, only to find out that Walter was planning to take her to a small city in the root of China, where a cholera epidemic has broken out. Walter has agreed to help find the source of the disease and help restore happiness in the small village.

And from this point on in their marriage, Walter and Kitty Fane were complete strangers to one another. Walter still loved Kitty deep inside but chose not to speak, look or be with her at the time. He spent his days at hospitals and in the city, testing the local water supplies for the disease that was so quickly eating at the towns massive population. Kitty remained at home and quickly befriended their neighbour named Mr Wadington. He was a British Commissioner posted in China for the time begin and was quite friendly.

As time slowly crawls on by, Kitty, who hadn't loved Walter at the time of their marriage, was slowly discovering the good and noble man that he was. As odd as it sounds, the cholera epidemic is what brought the two of them together. Walter was beginning to clean the water supply of the disease and Kitty spent her time at the children's convent in the city, teaching the girls of music and dancing.

One day while Walter was working in the city and Kitty was teaching the girls, she was overwhelmed and after vomiting uncontrollably, faints. The girls call for the nuns and Kitty was soon awaken by smiling faces in white and black dresses.

"You are pregnant, Mrs Fane."

Even though the nuns were crying tears of joy at such news, Kitty felt a lump in her throat at the very thought. She had been throwing up routinely for over two months now and Walter and herself only brought their marriage to their bed recently. The baby was obviously not Walter's and Kitty understood that. But would Walter?

As quickly as he could, Walter rushed from his point at study to the convent where Kitty was beginning treated. He had just been informed that Kitty had been taken ill and fainted at the convent. Too many negative thoughts were passing through his mind as he rushed through the halls of the busy convent, but was soon set at ease when he entered the office and saw Kitty sitting up on the patient's bed. He was greeted by her warm smile but with teary red eyes, as well. Kitty was quickly overthrown with questions regarding her condition from Walter and quickly told him of her pregnancy. But Walter didn't care if the child was Walter's or not. They were going to have a child and that was all that mattered.

Just as their love for each other was beginning to blossom into the full lotus flower it was intended to be, Walter was taken ill at a Chinese refugee camp outside of the city. Kitty was hastily woken in the middle of the night by Mr Wadington and was taken to the camp. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to come face to face with: a cholera infected hospital tent. A piece of fabric was pushed into Kitty's hand before she entered the disease infested area. She pressed the fabric against her nose and mouth and made her way to the very back, where Walter was being treated by two doctors. At the very sight of her, Walter asked for her to leave and that she needn't be taking such risks on his account. Before commanding everyone out of the tent, Walter flung himself over the edge of the tent and vomited, fluids falling from his mouth and into the overflowing bucket beside him. Holding her quickly welling tears back, Kitty took a seat beside Walter and helped him through the night of pain and dehydration.

As the two spent their night together in the tent, Mr Wadington was informed that the tent was running out of saline, which is a water and salt solution that is drained into the patient to prevent further dehydration. Wadington refused to tell the couple of the matter and allowed the two to spend their last hours together in silence.

Kitty watched in horror as Walter clutched her hand and vomited continuously beside her. If she had been in the same position two years ago, Kitty would run for her dear life. But now she had one priority in her life and that was Walter. She never left his side and continued to sit with him until she couldn't hold it back any longer. Before she could even notice, Kitty had fallen asleep.

_**My story begins here.**_

"Mrs Fane? Mrs Fane?" A voice came to her in her sleep. It was so close, yet so far away. Kitty opened her eyes slowly and came to the horrifying shock that she was no longer in the tent alongside her husband but outside the tent near a bathing river. Her bright blue eyes sprang open and she began to cry.

"Why didn't anyone tell me? Where is he? WALTER?" Kitty shouted as she pulled herself up from the grass-braided mat she was resting upon. Mr Wadington had woken her and was now clutching at Kitty's wrists.

"You needn't worry, Mrs Fane. He's in good hands now. Please, lower your voice. There are patients mourning right now." Mr Wadington whispered into Kitty's ear as he pulled her down back onto the mat. Kitty's legs buckled under her and she fell into Mr Wadington's lap in defeat. _He's in good hands now._ Kitty muffled a cry of horror and threw her face into her hands.

"Why didn't anyone wake me? I never even said goodbye." Ann cried between sobs of both uncontrolled sadness and anger. Kitty took hold of Mr Wadington's collared vest and pulled at both sides in insanity. "YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, SHOULD HAVE WAKEN ME! DAMN IT!" Kitty screamed in anger. The villagers of the next village over must've heard Kitty's terrifying cries for help.

Mr Wadington took hold of Kitty's shoulders and pulled her into the forest, away from the patients and doctors, who were throwing her confused glances. He handed her a glass of cold water and quickly pulled a piece of fabric from his pocket and drag along his sweat streaked forehead. "What the _bloody_ hell are you on about? You're disturbing the patients!" Mr Wadington said in a low voice. Kitty began to laugh in between sobs. "And now you're laughing. Honestly Mrs Fane, you wouldn't want Doctor Fane to see you in this state, would you? He's already been woken by the doctors. You'll be able to see him any moment. "

Kitty immediately stopped laughing, and crying. She stopped everything. The wooden cup fell from her firm grasp and rolled down the hills of forest below her. All that was heard from the both of them were the faint cries of pain from the hospital tents below and the occasional chirping of birds above them.

A single tear dropped from Kitty's eyes before the hard rock beneath her met with the front of her porcelain white skin and all that was heard after that were the distant cries for help from the panic stricken Mr Wadington.


	2. Chapter 2

**Like Father, Like Son**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer: The story and characters belong to W. Somerset Maugham. I only write from where he left off, which I clearly noted in this chapter. Please, reviews and comments are what encourage me to continue writing. Thank you and enjoy the story!**

_A single tear dropped from Kitty's eyes before the hard rock beneath her met with the front of her porcelain white skin and all that was heard after that were the distant cries for help from the panic stricken Mr Wadington. _

"Darling? Kitty, can you hear me?" Walter Fane whispered as his beloved wife Kitty was slowly awakening from a long and hard fall down some very stony steps. "She's opening her eyes. Mr Waddington! Get he doctors please!"

In seconds Mr Waddington had brought one doctor and two nurses back into Kitty's tent for inspection. She hadn't said anything just yet, but Kitty was most definitely awake and feeling well.

As the doctors brought her up onto her back and handed her something cool to drink she noticed Walter's grieving face from behind the nurses. Just as she was about to say something to him, Walter lifted a hand and smiled. Kitty knew well enough not to say anything more and to wait until the rest of the professionals departed before she said anything else.

"She's quite fine, Walter. As are you!" The doctor announced proudly. "I must say, what we all witnessed last night with you was very close to a miracle. We'll leave you alone now with your wife."

And with that, the doctor, nurses and Mr Waddington left the tent quietly, accompanied by proud smiles reaching from each side of their faces. At long last, Kitty and Walter were finally left alone, with both of them conscious.

Before Kitty could attempt to say anything to him, Walter rushed to the side of his wife and held her close. It was that gut feeling that people usually experience when you know that others are in pain. In this situation however, Walter knew exactly that Kitty was in pain.

"Walter, I thought you had died. I was so worried." Kitty sobbed into Walter's neck, as he walked them both back and forth. "I woke up and you were gone. I thought-"

And just then Walter pulled from their embrace and placed a cool finger against Kitty's tearstained lips.

"Not another word from you! You're only putting more worry and stress on yourself and, well, the baby." Walter said. Kitty pulled together a faint smile when she noticed a light blush forming across her husband's cheeks as he mentioned the baby she was now carrying.

Kitty shook her head and held Walter's face in both of her hands. "You are absolutely right. You always know what to say, don't you?" Kitty said dreamily. Walter smiled and pressed his cool forehead against Kitty's own.

"No, not always but I tend to tell the truth in circumstances, such as these."

That day, both Kitty and Walter spent their time together at the Chinese Refugee Camp, helping one another with patients and chores that needed to be finished before the sun set. Mr Waddington stayed around as well but left before the Fanes, for he had a certain someone waiting for him back at home.

But as the sun was beginning to set and the sky above them all had turned an orangey colour, the doctors volunteering at the camp advised both Walter and Kitty to go home and enjoy their time together, after being so close to death.

And that is exactly what they did. After a long, hard working day at the camp, both Walter and Kitty took a man carriage back to their home and spent the night together, discussing their plans for the new baby, which was to be born any day now. Walter was ready, but as Kitty?

"I just want you to be informed of all of the risks of having a baby in the middle of a cholera epidemic!" Walter shouted as to two were raised in discussion.

"Yes, I understand that but you're only making me stress even more then I already am about this baby. I mean, my parent don't even know I'm pregnant yet and they have no idea what we've been going through. I've got a full plate right now Walter and you're only making things overflow even more quicker then they already are!"

And with that, Kitty pulled herself into a chair and buried her face into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Now Kitty, you mustn't…no, please stop. I never intended on making you feel as overwhelmed as you seem to feel." Walter said. He dragged a hand roughly across his face and followed his wife's footsteps towards the kitchen table and pulled a seat out beside her. "Right, you must listen to me, alright? I don't want anything to go wrong with you, or the baby, while you are pregnant and I hope you understand that I'm doing all of this because I am so deeply in love with you that I couldn't bear having anything happen to you, or the baby, if you weren't careful enough."

Kitty remained silent for the time being, while Walter stroked her back comfortingly, obviously waiting patiently for an answer. Before anything serious could happen though, Kitty tried her tearstained face and pulled Walter towards her to kiss him.

"Come on then doctor. I haven't got all day. Tell me what I have to do in order to prevent anything serious happening to the b-"

Just then Kitty hunched over in her seat and cluttered onto her lower stomach for dear life.

"Darling, is there something wrong? Is it the baby?" Walter asked nervously. Kitty still remained silent, only muttering cries of pains through her gritted teeth. Walter took this as a message to grab their belongings and figure out how to get to a hospital.

Walter jumped from his seat and ran into Kitty's bedroom to retrieve something he had left there before riding off to the Chinese Refugee Camp. For reasons unknown, before Walter departed for the camp, he prepared Kitty with a helpful hospital back, that contained everything necessary if they were not to make it to a hospital in time for the birth. In times like these, Walter thanked God for the mind he had.

Quickly enough, Walter made his way back into the kitchen and double checked everything that the hospital bag contained.

"Walter, what in God's name are you doing with my travelling bag?!" Kitty cried as she clutched her stomach for the hundredth time.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Kitty. Just hold yourself together and I'll carry you myself over to the nearest hospital, alright?" Walter said, trying not to think too much about what he was saying but having a hard time believing himself.

"Not to be completely rude Walter darling, but I highly doubt that you will be able to carry a fully pregnant woman all the way down our driveway and into the village!"

"All right, you're probably right about that." Walter made his way quickly to the front door and peeked out through the curtains. "Sung Ching is still outside. I'm sure he will be willing to take you to the village hospital tonight."

So without another word, Walter grabbed the hospital back, as well as a shaking Kitty, and made his way to the front of their home. Sung Ching reacted almost instantly as he saw the hunched-over wife emerging form the home behind him.

"Sung Ching, Mrs Fane is in labour. Please help me take her to the village hospital."

Without another word, Sung Ching had taken Kitty into his arms and had made his travel out of the house gates and towards the village, with a worried Walter following behind.

"Please hurry Sung Ching. The baby is coming." Was all Kitty managed to say for the entire trip towards the hospital. Whether Sung Ching could understand Kitty or not, he sure did hurry into the village. He was so fast that once he had arrived in the hospital and gotten Kitty into the delivery room, Walter was just catching his breath at the entrance.

"You can certainly find your way around his village, can't you Sung Ching?" Walter said slowly, gasping for breaths in between each passing second. But all Sung Ching did in response was nod his head. He didn't smile and he didn't look at Walter. He kept his eyes glued on the delivery room and laced his fingers together, praying that Mrs Fane would give birth to a healthy baby and come out safe.

Walter now took this time to take a quiet seat in the corner of the waiting room and wait out the rest of the night here at the hospital. There was no way in Hell that Walter was going to leave his wife's side at the hospital even if it wasn't his biological baby she was giving birth to. That didn't matter now. What mattered was that Kitty and the baby made it safely out of the hospital all in one piece.

After many hours of shouts of pain and discomfort from the delivery room, a doctor finally emerged from the room in which Kitty had been in for the past 6 and a half hours. Both Sung Ching and Walter sprang from their light naps and rushed towards the doctor with question waiting to be answered.

"_Is she all right? Did she deliver the baby with any problems_?" Sung Ching asked the doctor in a thick Chinese language.

But before the doctor could answer his question, Walter broke in.

"I have a feeling that the question he just asked you is the same question that I'd liked to be answered as well so if you don't mind, could you answer it in English for me please." Walter demanded with a hint of anxiety in his calm voice. The doctor nodded and smiled.

"Don't worry, Mr Fane. Your wife is now recovering from her painful delivery. Though she is quite drowsy right now, your wife and your baby are happily waiting for the both of you in the recovery room. Please, go visit them as soon as possible." The doctor replied happily in a professional English accent. He quickly translated the sentence back into Chinese for Sung Ching and then departed for another delivery he was in desperate need for.

Sung Ching slowly turned to Walter with tears of joy running down his bright red cheeks. Walter chuckled and hugged the large man closely.

"I'm a father Sung Ching. I'm a father for God's sake!" Walter shouted with joy into Sung Ching's large arms.

Sung Ching slowly let go of his tight embrace with Walter and pointed towards the door marked "RECOVERY ROOM". Walter nodded and proceeded towards the grey painted door. Before entering, he peeked through the glass window to see his beautiful wife, sweating and lying peacefully in between the hospital covers. Across from her lay a baby on a changing table. From where he was standing Walter couldn't decipher the sex of the baby just yet, but that wasn't important right now.

It was there. In all of it's glory. Walter and Kitty Fane's baby was alive and well.


End file.
